Oh god I’m so behind. I’ve got three more reviews to write after this one and I’m almost done with a fourth book how did I let this happen. Ahhhhhh.
But seriously, more of this please. Give me all the non-Euro-centric YA fantasy you got and I will eat it up. Gods of Jade and Shadow dives deep into Mexican-Mayan mythology and I loved literally every second of it. A friend of mine started reading it and I was like OH MY GOD FINISH SOONER SO WE CAN TALK ABOUT IT.
Anyway. Gods of Jade and Shadow is the story of Casiopea, a teenage Cinderella-type living in a small town in southern Mexico. She is effectively a maid in her grandfather’s house, willful but under the thumb of everyone else, until the day she opens a box and frees a god. This is the Mayan god of death Hun-Kamé and her story becomes inextricably linked with his as they quest across Jazz Age-Mexico. Art Deco never looked so good. It’s demons and gods and music and magic and it is just enthralling. And kindness. The kindness is key.
I am so 100% on board and want to read more. It pulls a bit on one of my favorite Pratchett ideas that gods are powered by belief and as belief fades, so does their power (also the bad guy wants to reinstate human sacrifice to regain some of that power so uh oh). The characters aren’t necessarily all three-dimensional – looking at you, Martin – but who gives! I enjoyed every minute of it.